THE ROOKIE-laden UST Golden Tigresses finished a flawless first round in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball, dismantling a determined Adamson Lady Falcons in a thrilling four-setter, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 28-26, on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Jonna Perdido spearheaded the Tigresses’ early onslaught with powerful pipe attacks, propelling them to a commanding 12-5 lead in the opening set.
The Lady Falcons tried to recover with a series of blocks, trimming the gap to five, 23-18. However, Perdido’s relentless offense and Angge Poyos’s well-timed block shut down Adamson’s momentum and sealed the set for UST, 25-18.
In the second frame, Adamson team captain Lucille Almonte’s blocks disrupted UST’s wingers, tying the score close at 5-all.
Despite capitalizing on Adamson’s errors, the Tigresses could not sustain the lead, allowing the Lady Falcons to rally a 2-1 run to steal the second set, 25-22.
UST managed to regroup in the third set. Opposite hitter Regine Jurado’s back-to-back pipe attacks sparked an eight-point run.
As Poyos further stifled Adamson’s hopes with a decisive dropball, the Tigresses cruised to a 25-15 win, taking a two-set lead.
The fourth set was tight initially. UST built a lead with Perdido’s unstoppable crosscourt kills, but Adamson’s Rochelle Lalongisip tried to keep her team’s hopes alive.
Under an intense exchange between Almonte and Perdido, the game went to an extended match, 24-all.
It all came down to the wire when rookie Poyos delivered the final blow with consecutive crosscourt hits, sealing the victory for UST, 28-26.
Despite their 7-0 first round sweep, libero-captain Bernadett Pepito acknowledged the Tigresses’ need for continuous improvement.
“We still have a lot of areas to work on, and we can’t afford to become complacent. We need to step up our efforts,” Pepito said.
Poyos carried UST with 18 points, while Perdido and Jurado contributed 16 and 12 points, respectively.
But it was UST setter Cassie Carballo who orchestrated the offense masterfully, distributing 22 excellent sets that kept the UST offense clicking.
Four Lady Falcons achieved double figures. Lalongisip led the team with 14 points while Almonte and Antonette Adolfo each scored 12 points. Mary Ann Nuique contributed 10 points for her team, which fell to a 2-5 record.
The Tigresses aim to maintain their dominance over their rivals when the tournament resumes after the Easter break. F – Jade Alecksandra Bagas and Mc Neil Zhy Serrano
